Woman lost job after driver lied over speeding fine

Sobia Iqbal

An innocent woman lost her job after a complete stranger nominated her as the driver of her speeding car, according to police.

Sobia Iqbal, from Bradford, was given a suspended prison sentence at York Crown Court after admitting perverting the course of justice to avoid penalty points on her record.

She had initially claimed another person was driving her car at 43mph in a 30mph zone in Harrogate, leading to an innocent women being prosecuted for the offence and losing her licence and her job.

Iqbal, of Poplars Park Road, was handed a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and told to pay the victim £500 in compensation on Friday.

In May 2022, a police mobile camera van clocked Iqbal's vehicle speeding on the A661 Wetherby Road.

The woman she nominated as the driver admitted the offence by post, and accepted a fine and points on her licence - which meant that she was disqualified from driving under totting-up rules. She lost her employment as a result.

However, the investigation was reopened due to suspicions that a false name had been given. The footage was examined and proved that Iqbal had been behind the wheel.

PC Michael Ray from North Yorkshire Police said: “This is a case which involved Iqbal nominating a complete stranger as the driver of her own vehicle.

“Our thorough investigation demonstrates that we will take positive action against those who attempt to dishonestly avoid prosecution for traffic offences.

“I would like to use this example to remind anyone who is thinking about engaging in such behaviour that they are most likely to face far more serious consequences as a result. It also has a profound effect on the innocent victim who is caught up in the case.”

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.